CCARDESA Sensitizes SADC Member State on its Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Systems.

The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research & Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), through its Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP-XP4), conducted a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system training for selected CCARDESA staff and national partners at the Southern Sun Oliver Tambo Hotel in Johannesburg South Africa from the 5th to the 9th of December 2022.

The CAADP-XP4 Programme is funded by the European Union (EU) and administered by the IFAD. It is implemented in collaboration with the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

The overall objective of the training was to build the capacity of selected CCARDESA staff and countries' M&E specialists on the MEL system, critical Monitoring and Evaluation Processes, Knowledge Management, and data/information sharing mechanisms for impact full reporting at all levels. The other specific objectives of the meeting include but are not limited to undertaking capacity building of CCARDESA and countries' M&E specialists in M&E processes, data collection, and standard and functional M&E practices. The workshop also sought to sensitize countries' M&E specialists on the CCARDESA Mobile App, including facilitating the uploading of projects data into the CCARDESA MEL system and generating different reports. Furthermore, the workshop sought to expose participants to the CAADP-XP4 MEL system and data collection tools and also highlighted the Malabo commitments and indicators.

The CAADP-XP4 Coordinator Dr Baitsi Podisi officially opened the meeting and shared with the participants the programmes, including AICCRA, GCCA+, CNRM, APPSA, CAADP-XP4 that CCARDESA is currently implementing. He also shared how CCARDESA is implementing various Knowledge Management programmes.

Dr Podisi informed the participants how CCARDESA has always wanted to set up a network of M&E experts in the SADC region for easy learning and collaboration. He indicated that M&E is critical for all programme design and implementation. He mentioned that he is yet to see a programme that does not have an M&E component.

Dr Podisi intimated that the CAADP-XP4 Programme developed the MEL system to ensure its data is well documented and helps track programme indicators. He urged participants to participate fully and engage in the MEL systems. He also encouraged them to provide feedback that will be used to improve the system for better reporting and the benefit of all member states. He wished the participants fruitful deliberations.

During the training Ms Futhi Magagula, the CAADP-XP4 Programme Officer, shared with the participants the CCARDESA overview and implementation progress of the CAADP-XP4 and the AICCRA Programmes. Similarly, Mr Dagmore Tawonezvi shared the progress of the APPSA, and the GCCA+ and Mrs Bridget Kakuwa-Kasongamulilo shared on the CNRM Project, knowledge management in the SADC region as well as the CCARDESA hubs, including the CCARDESA CSA Learning Mobile Application.  

The Data Care Consultants engaged by CCARDESA to develop the MEL system navigated the system together with the member states. They went through the CAADP-XP4 MEL system and relevant data collection tools and templates. Ms Magagula presented an overview of the CAADP-XP4 MEL system and emphasized the indicators requiring data from countries to measure country-level impact and outcomes. The member states could practice by navigating the system and uploading data  until they were comfortable with the system's functions.

Petrus Uushona, the Chief M&E Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture in Namibia, said that the CCARDESA MEL system has come at a crucial time when countries are gearing towards evidence-based planning. As such, this system will be a game changer and provide linkage between implementers and beneficiaries on the ground and decision-makers ability to access information. He further requested CCARDESA to conduct further training on the MEL system at the national level since the data required is from different sectors.

Ms Maria from Mozambique said that the system is very good and user-friendly. It also offers an opportunity for countries to bring together information from different sectors, generate reports, and see each country's contribution to the regional indicators. We are now left with the challenge of finding data sources and populating the system with reliable and representative data.

Mr Lame Ntebang, the Principal Economist in Botswana, said the "system is very important as it helps the countries to be hands-on. The security issue is also taken into account as it requires one to have a password to log in and a senior government official has to approve the reported data before it is sent to CCARDESA for quality assurance. I hope that the MEL system will improve data storage at the regional level.

Dr Dickson Nguni from ZARI-Zambia said the training of the MEL system was an eye opener and has opened avenues for the country committed to the agreed milestones. The system in itself is helpful at both national and regional levels. He urged CCARDESA to facilitate the development of a similar MEL System at the national level.

Mr Andrew Chiwawa from Zimbabwe said the MEL system is a good knowledge bank suitable for all projects at operational and strategic levels.

In his closing remarks, Mr Dagmore Tawonezvi thanked the participants for taking time off their busy schedules to attend the training. He assured the member states that this was just the beginning of engaging with them and hoped that they would utilize the system for the betterment of the member states. He also mentioned that it is a live system and CCARDESA will incorporate their recommendations to improve the system's functionality. The meeting ended with member states resolving to promote the system at the national level and populate the relevant sections. The meeting participants included M&E experts from Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia.